


Holy Hades

by whatthefuck



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: AU, Angst, Fluff, Greek Gods AU, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hades!Harry, Hermes!Merlin, M/M, Persephone!Eggsy, Slow Build, Tagging as I update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-24 09:54:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7503841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthefuck/pseuds/whatthefuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Harry is Hades and Eggsy is Persephone.</p><p>Eggsy just doesn't know it yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Eggsy finds the entrance on a cold day. It's raining, but not enough to warrant an umbrella. It dampens his hair and makes it stick to his head unattractively. The wind picks up, practically pushing him in the direction of the doors.

Heavy wooden doors. In the park. 

They stand alone between two trees, being held up by nothing but the few vines that twist intricately around the base, coming up from the floor like roots as they entangle themselves with the branches of two oaks. But the vines themselves aren't green, they're gold and black. Eggsy's seen enough movies to know that this shit should be left well alone. 

But, it's a Tuesday morning. 3am to be precise. He doesn't have a home; no-one waiting up for him, or worried about his well-being. His dad's dead, his mum's off with her new bloke, and his little sister is in a care home because of his wanker of an ex-step father. 

So, he follows the urges of the wind. 

Walking up to the doors, he looks around once more to see if anyone is playing a cruel joke on him, or if there's even any one to witness this bizarre event. There isn't, so he turns back and reaches for the handles. Both doors give way easily enough. There's no creak to them, no delay in their movements as there should have been considering the weight of them.

Once in the shelter out of the rain, Eggsy shakes his head, not quite unlike a dog, to get rid of the excess rainwater in his hair, and then rakes his fingers through it a few times. He grimaces at the feeling of his wet jeans as a cool breeze passes him in the damp corridor he just entered, but chooses to leave them be. He options are limited anyway. 

It's only a few metres down the corridor that he realises; nope. He can't do this. He wriggles out of the constricting material, and swings the pair over his shoulders, leaving him in his boxers, shirt, and hoodie. He vaguely has the brief thought that if he dies here, he'll be found pant-less.  
The pro's of comfort outweigh the embarrassment, however, and he continues on. 

Eggsy walks for what feels like hours. There's only one direction to go, straight down the dark corridor; when he finally reaches a second door, ornately decorated, and with a brass handle that glints in what little light reaches the space. He feels a little like Alice, from _Alice in Wonderland_.

It's only when he turns to reach for said handle does he see the entrance of the corridor mere metres away, the door still open. He can see the rain falling heavier now, as if to taunt him for his stupid decisions. A strong gust of wind slams the door shut as he looks on, leaving him in utter darkness, and removing any possibility of escape. 

There's no where to go but through the second door, now. 

He pushes it open, this one opening just as easily as the first, except that it moans on its hinges when the first was silent. And after seeing what's on the other side, Eggsy guesses it should have been enough of a clue to turn the fuck around. The room is lit a little brighter than the previous corridor, and is scattered with bones. Along the edge of the wall is a line of skulls buried in to the wall itself. He shuffles back out of the room, but can't move more than a few paces before hands grab him roughly by the shoulders and shove him back in. 

"Oi, what the fuck!" he yells as he tumbles to the floor ungracefully; with only his echo's as a reply. 

"What the fuck have I gotten myself into," he mumbles, brushing himself off as he stands. He kicks his jeans away, now that they're covered in dirt and the black water that runs in front of him. Eggsy makes his way to the ledge, having found himself in an open cave. A thick black river runs below him, not quite water, but not thick enough to be oil. It is, however, very pungent in its odor.

He feels the handle of the door disappear against his back, quite literally vanishing in his bare hands as they were holding on to the heavy brass, and he's left on a large flat piece of rock. 

"The Mortal," says a voice behind him with a strong lisp. "How bithare,"

Eggsy spins around quickly, screaming when he comes face to face with a dark man who towers over him.

The man starts to scream, too, mocking Eggsy. He stops abruptly; "Whath a fuckin' baby." He says with a strong American accent. The man rolls his eyes before turning around and walking. He must expect Eggsy to follow, if the irritated look he receives moments later is anything to go by. 

"You fucking pushed me, bruv!"

"The name'th Ricthmond Valentine, i'll be your guide today, don't ask any sthupid questions." The man says, undeterred by Eggsy's anger. 

"Like, 'where the fuck am I?' you mean?" 

"You walked in here, you tell me."

Eggsy fumbles, lost for words because technically, that is true. "Fair enough," he eventually settles on. 

He doesn't ask anymore questions, because it doesn't seem like he's going to get any answers. In any case, Valentine seems like a bit of a shit guide, doesn't show him any of the landmarks, or give him any information. Instead they just follow the dark river as it travels downstream, walking in silence for the next fourty minutes, Eggsy guesses.

He has to guess, because at some point his phone and watch stopped working. 

The strange clipboard-tablet that Valentine holds is working fine, however, and Eggsy feels like asking why only _his_ things don't work. 

He opens his mouth, ready to ask, already breaking his unsaid promise of no more questions, when a sudden blinding light cuts him short. He didn't even realise, but as they walked, the cave got narrower and narrower, until finally it opened back out in to a bright white room. It's bare, save for the throne that rests in the far middle. The throne itself is black, but regal all the same, a stark contrast to the lightness of the white room it sits in. 

"Wait here," Valentine says, before he walks through the wall. He walks through the fucking wall and vanishes. 

"For what?!?" Eggsy yells back, but receives no response from the man. 

Instead, he's surprised with another figure. A man dressed in a fitted black suit. He wears a pair of glasses and weilds an umbrella in his hands. 

"For me," the man says.

Eggsy's too busy looking at the rest of his figure; the lean muscle mass on the man's shoulders and arms, the creases and wrinkles around his eyes; laughter lines, and the most elegantly coiffed hair. It's only then that Eggsy remembers his own state and appearance.

Shit.

He's not even wearing any pants. 

Eggsy looks down at his bare legs, and grimaces, before sweeping a hand quickly through his hair. A quick rub of his face brings back dirt, too. He must look like trash. For some reason he feels the need to impress this man. 

Who he's never even met before.

Who is still talking to him.

"Huh?" Eggsy grunts suddenly.

The man laughs, tilting his head back. "My dear, my name is Harry Hart."

"Okay?" he says, because Eggsy genuinely has no clue who that is.

"Perhaps you may be more familiar with the name Hades?"

"Shut Up! No way," he exclaims, unable to contain his shock. 

Apparently, his body doesn't know how to handle it either, because his vision goes black, and Eggsy knows, somewhere in the back of his mind, he vaguely registers the fact that he's fainting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this came out a lot more speech heavy than I expected.  
> But here you go, chapter 2!

Eggsy hears bits and pieces of a conversation as he comes back to consciousness. It's a voice he doesn't recognise.

"...keeps mumbling about...looking like trash...underworld..."

"Well...cute trash...at the least..." and this voice he _does_ recognise. It's Harry. Or Hades. Jesus, is he still dreaming?

The lights are too bright around him, and he struggles to open his eyes, grimacing when he can't keep them open. Still, he musters up all the energy he can to mumble, "I ain't fucking cute. I'm sexy, guv," 

"He doesn't seem to have changed all that much, has he?" the first man chimes in. 

"No. No, he hasn't." comes the reply, but Eggsy can't ask what they mean because he's out like a light once more. 

\---

The next time he wakes up, he has no way of telling how much time has passed, because the room is still brightly lit. What confuses him is that there are no windows, no doors, no lights, no way of brightening the room and yet it still practically glows. 

"If someone could turn down the lights, that would be nice," he says to the room at large. It's empty save for himself, but Eggsy's assuming that someone isn't too far away. 

He's right. The King of the Underworld himself makes his presence known, scaring the absolute shit out of Eggsy. 

"How the fuck do you do that?" he groans once his heart rate lowers slightly from his scare. 

"Comes with the job, I suppose. Never really gave it much thought." Says Harry/Hades. 

That reminds Eggsy of another important question to ask. "What the fuck is up with your name, too?"

He receives a grin in reply, clearly this tosser is enjoying Eggsy's confusion, but no efforts to answer the question itself.

He sighs, and decides to go with a different approach. "You're the real Hades, then?"

A plush chair appears beside his bed easily enough, which Eggsy now takes note is one of the most comfiest he's ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. That included all the posh kids who wanted a bit o' rough from him, but he refrains from saying anything, not deeming it suitable for present company. It might have been one of the smartest things he's ever done. 

Harry, or whatever he should be calling the man, sits down at the new chair, sinking in to the cushions. Sighing in comfort, he smiles briefly before turning back to Eggsy. 

"Harry Hart is a pseudonym. It should last me another hundred years or so, given the direction the world is headed in."

Eggsy sends a confused look his way, not quite understanding what Harry means. 

The man chuckles. "I do understand my original name has quite a negative stigma attached to it, hence the alternative of Harry. It makes it easier to interact with the spirits of the deceased if they are less intimidated, yes?"

"Well, aren't you thoughtful," Eggsy replies, his tone coming off far more sarcastic than he had intended. 

Harry takes it lightly, though, instead explaining that, "While I may be the ruler of the Unseen Realm, Eggsy, it is not my job to kill these people. I simply guide them on their journey from one life to the next."

Eggsy nods in understanding. "That makes sense, I s'pose. Dunno why I never thought of it like that." He shuffles around with the blanket for a few moments, unsure of how to fill the silence that follows; until Valentine glides back in to the room with a glass of water. He grumbles to himself before placing it on a small table beside the bed. 

"Will that be all?" he asks Harry, voice laced with a mocking cheerfulness. 

"That will be all, Charon, thank you." Harry repeats, and Eggsy watches the man take his leave once more, grumbling something about, "Already being too busy dealing with the souls of the dead to be a fucking maid."

Eggsy smirks a little, unable to stop his amusement from showing at Valentines' contempt. 

"Wait, hold up." he perks up, glancing back towards Harry who raises an eyebrow at him.

"You called him Charon? He bloody well told me his name was Richmond Valentine."

"Ah," Harry says. "You'll find a lot of people you come across here have two or more names- can be a little hard to keep up with, but you get used to it-"

"Who said I was staying long enough to 'get used to it'" Eggsy interrupts, using his fingers to form quotation marks as he repeats Harry. 

Harry gives him a look, one that he can't quite decipher, before continuing on as if he hadn't just been interrupted. "Charon is, for lack of better word, the ferryman. He transports my souls across the River Styx-"

"The disgusting black river?"

Harry frowns slightly, "The souls go on to Elysium or Tartarus, or any place in between; wheresoever fits them and their characters."

"You're telling me," Eggsy says, storing away most of what Harry is telling him for future references, "that the biggest roadman I have ever come across, _in my life_ , is a dead man's chauffeur?"

"Roadman?" Harry inquires, but then answers, "Yes, that is exactly what I mean to tell you."

"Jesus Christ," Eggsy mumbles. "A roadman is a chav. Worse, in fact."

"Chav's? interesting." Harry says, and he truly sounds interested. He moves closer carefully, and opens his mouth once more as if to say something else, but is rudely interrupted by a- 

A fucking three-headed dog.

What the fucking hell. 

Eggsy scrambles up the bed, clutching at the blanket with white knuckles as if it can protect him from this.. this beast.

Harry's taking the intrusion rather calmly, however, and forces the dog down by tugging on one of it's collars. "Down, boy!"

"What the fuck," Eggsy moans; Harry looking up at him as if suddenly remembering he was there. 

Harry coughs, cheeks reddening slightly. "I do apologise; I'd like you to meet Cerberus." 

All three head's perk up at the name, and the dog clambers in to Eggsy's space, resting heavy on his thigh's. "Your dog's dead, mate." He says for lack of anything better to say. 

"And you're in the land of the dead, Eggsy." Harry snarks back, resigned but still amused. 

"Hang on," he says, nodding to the collar resting around the throat of the second head. Seriously, a three-headed dog. Fuck. "His tag says Mr.Pickles, bruv, who are you tryin' to fool?"

Harry looks positively embarrassed. He blushes a deep red, stammering out a, "Well, Yes he- I-" he grumbles, "I do get enough shit from Merlin, thank you." He grumbles pointedly. 

Just when Eggsy's about to ask who "Merlin" is, a voice reaches them from the far corner of the room. "Yeah, because you named yer dog 'Spot' and then you renamed him 'Mister Pickles,"

Eggsy remembers that voice. 

"YOU!" He yells, far louder than even he expected to. Harry jumps, and Merlin simply turns to look at him expectantly. 

He sinks back in to the pillows a bit when both sets of eyes turn on him. "You were here before, when I was asleep."

"Unconscious," Merlin corrects. 

"Clearly not, if I could hear your conversation," He replies, just for the sake of getting the last word in. He heard shit all in his addled state. But, he doesn't expect either males to look panicked, Harry schooling his features much faster than Merlin, who then quickly puts his head down in his tablet; like the one Valentine had before. 

Merlin seems to have chosen to ignore the last part, glancing at Harry once more before turning back to Eggsy. "I believe introductions are in order. I am Hermes, Messenger of the gods, guide to the underworld, and conductor of souls. If you have any needs you come to me." He states clearly, with a thick Scottish accent. "And who are you?"

Eggsy doesn't miss the way Merlin's eyes dart to Harry's stiff figure once more. Subtlety is clearly a thing of the 'mortals', then? It's clear that the two of them know more about Eggsy than they're letting on, but until he can figure out what they know, he decides to play it safe. 

" 'Name's Eggsy. You knew that, though? Gary Unwin, really. Eggsy's a nickname." He stops there, doesn't want to tell them anything else until they give him some information, too. Harry was clearly waiting for more, given that his stiff posture suddenly collapses, and he sighs in disappointment. He rises from his seat and dips his head at Eggsy.

"I have a few matters to attend to, Merlin. Please make sure our guest is comfortable for the duration of his stay."

Harry starts to walk towards the wall, when Eggsy speaks up, "Who said I was stayin'? Just point me to the exit, and i'll be outta your hair." His words make Harry freeze, but the man doesn't turn back around to face him, so he continues on, "And a spare pair of pants would be nice, too." 

"I'm afraid I cannot let that happen, Eggsy. You were chosen." And with one last parting glance towards Merlin, he vanishes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never in my life have I been so touched as I have by the enthusiasm and support i've received for this fic. Words truly cannot describe how much. Not in my wildest dreams would I have expected so much compassion and involvement from you guys! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

"He can't do that? He can't _do_ that? Is he talking about giving me the trousers, or what?" Eggsy panics, glancing at Merlin. He stumbles off of the bed, pushing at Mr.Pickles' head gently to move him. He keeps hold of the blanket, wrapping it around himself in a flimsy attempt to cover up. It's freezing down here. It wouldn't fuckin' hurt to turn on the heating every once in a while.

But, still. Back to more pressing matters. "Merlin! Come on, mate. You've gotta give me somethin'! What does he mean 'I was chosen'"?

Merlin sighs, long and loud, as if he actually thought keeping silent would make Eggsy forget he was there. "You said you heard our conversation, Eggsy. What do you think it means?"

"I was bluffing!" He explodes. "I'm in a strange place, fuck knows where, I haven't got any fucking pants, and this guy's just told me he's the god of the underworld! Of course I told ya' I heard! Wanted to have the upper hand, didn't I?" He shouts, before tilting his head up and letting out his own sigh of defeat, jaws tightening in an effort to control his anger. "Fat lot of good it did me," he adds. 

Merlin comes to stand next to him, giving him a pitying look. "Eggsy," he says slowly, but he doesn't follow up with anything else, just stares at him. 

"I know how the stories go! I heard some of 'em as a kid, you know."

"Stories?"

"You can't keep me here. I ain't had nothin' to eat. Not even the water." He argues, pointing to the still full glass that Valentine had left earlier. 

"What are you talking about, boy?" Merlin questions, turning to Eggsy with his full attention, clipboard down at his waist. 

"I ain't no Persephone! I didn't have any of the pomegranate seeds or anything. You can't keep me here."

Merlin grimaces. "You really didn't hear the conversation Harry and I had, then-"

"I already told-"

"Get some rest, Eggsy." Merlin continues. He looks sad, giving Eggsy one last parting glance before he, too vanishes.

"Oi! No! Come on!" He tries once more. 

A small whine comes from his feet, and Eggsy stumbles over to look down. 

At least the dog stayed. 

He sighs, huffing angrily before turning back to the bed. He takes in the details of the room in a way he hasn't been able to since he woke up. While the room in itself is a plain white, there's a glowing essence to it, as if it's alive. There's no actual ceiling, instead a swirling, whirling pool of molten black, so deep it looks blue, and bronze, and green and gold. It doesn't do anything to dampen the brightness of the room, but enhances it.

The bed has an ornate detailing to it, and as Eggsy looks closer it becomes clear that it's not just swirls and patterns, but faces, and swords; weaponry and people and battles carved in to the wooden pillars that hold up the mattress. It's so beautiful he feels quite beneath it, not worthy enough to sleep on such a distracting piece of art. 

But, he's tired. It's clear he's not going to get any more answers for a while. Eggsy groans a final time, resigning himself to an indefinite future in the room; or at least until he has the opportunity to escape. Cerberus whines again- there's no way Eggsy is calling such a majestic creature _Mister Pickles_ , it's just stupid- and so Eggsy tries to let him climb on to the bed. 

It's not one of hie better ideas, considering the size of the puppy. He laughs when one head licks at his forehead, and grimaces when it's followed by a kick to the stomach as Cerberus tries to find purchase on the mattress. 

"Jesus! Okay, stop, stop!" He yells, and the dog immediately stops moving. "Let's make some space for you, a'right? Just promise you won't eat me, and we're good." 

The barks he gets in reply are enough to assure him of his safety, so Eggsy gets off of the bed himself, lifts up one side of the mattress, and shoves it clean off the bed-frame. Tugging it gently with both arms, he places the mattress in the middle of the room, where there is plenty of space for him to sleep, and space enough for Cerberus to lay comfortably. He collects the fallen pillow and blanket, and makes his way to the mattress, patting the space beside him for the dog. 

"Come 'ere," he says, and the space around him is immediately filled with an animal that technically shouldn't exist in its current form. He still feels himself falling in love with it anyway.

"Yer a bit like that dog from Harry Potter, Mister Fluffy, I think it was? Fucking scary when I was a kid, but now I can understand why Hagrid loved 'im so much."

Eggsy lies down, lets the dog place it's heads on his stomach and around him, and then forces himself to get some more sleep. 

\---

Eggsy wakes up with no knowledge of how long he slept for. There's no clock, and he doesn't have his phone or watch. Not like they work, but still. 

Cerberus is gone; it's just him and his thoughts. He thinks about how stupid he was to just walk in through an unmarked door in the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere, in the middle of the night, with no preparation whatsoever. 

At this point he would just appreciate a pair of pants; that's all he wants. 

His stomach rumbles, as soon as he has that thought. Scratch that, he wants a burger, and maybe some chips. 

"Eggsy," a voice calls out quietly. He still jumps, sitting up on the mattress quickly. But he miscalculates, and ends up on the floor. 

The mattress is back on the bed.

Someone moved an entire mattress with him _on it_ and he didn't feel a thing. 

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Harry says, but Eggsy doesn't want to hear anything Harry has to say to him. 

"I'm going to find a way out of here, you can't stop me."

Harry sighs, "Well, I was afraid you would say that, but it's not like I have been able to stop you before-"

"What do you mean, 'before'?" he demands. 

The man moves closer to Eggsy, and sits down on the edge of the bed. Eggsy stays standing. 

"What you told Merlin, about _"not being Persephone"_ ; you couldn't be more wrong, Eggsy."

Eggsy shuts his eyes, breathing deep and heavy, trying to control his rage. He grits his teeth, clenches his fist, and then says, "Stop speaking in fucking riddles, and tell me."

"The story you told Merlin about the Pomegranate seeds, it's an old tale- a wrong one, too." Harry glances up at him, makes eye contact for a brief second before his eyes stray back to his hands. "Over the years, the tale has been bastardized, mistold, elements of it changed."

Eggsy rolls his eyes, making gestures with his hands for Harry to continue when the man pauses to take a break. 

"Some parts of it- the basis of it at least- is how we originally met, our first meeting."

"Huh? We met yesterday!"

Harry blinks up at him. "You came down here a week ago, Eggsy. Not yesterday."

A..week? He's lost a week of his life?

He's reeling from this new knowledge as Harry continues talking. "My brother, who is quite a bit of a dick, if I do say so myself, wasn't happy that I was happy. With you," he adds, looking pointedly at Eggsy.

Eggsy stumbles to sit down on the bed, unable to process what he's being told. His shoulders brush with Harry's, and he can feel the heat coming off the man through their combined layers of clothing. Harry is uncharacteristically warm, but Eggsy doesn't let it bother him; it must be part of who Harry is, as Hades. Their touching shoulders are the only point of contact Eggsy allows. He braces his hands at the edge of the mattress and ducks his head down, taking in deep breaths in measured intakes. 

"Keep talking," he orders Harry.

"Are you-"

"If you don't say it now, you'll just leave again." Eggsy remarks, even though it makes him lightheaded to talk instead of focus on his breathing. 

"My brother is Zeus, ruler of Olympus and deity of the skies. He also happens to go by the name Arthur, as I do Harry; has done since the 8th century and- right, well." He must notice he's gone off track a bit. He leans forward on his elbows, resting them on his thigh. He places his head in his hands and takes a deep breath, too. 

Eggsy lifts his head up and watches. 

"Persephone is re-born. Every century, the love of my life is stripped away from me and forced to return to Earth." Harry mumbles quietly, wearily. "You, Eggsy, are taken away from me every hundred years. You are the light of my life, the joy of this realm, but I am forced to remember that each time you find your way back to me, you'll only be taken back once more."

"What? Harry, what are you saying?" Eggsy asks, turning to look at the man. Harry stills looks down at the floor, unable to meet Eggsy's eyes. "Come on, Harry. Look at me."

The man looks up, eyes red and teary, ready to burst. He looks decades older just in this moment alone. He looks like he's going to crumble right in front of Eggsy and disappear for good. 

Eggsy slowly reaches up, takes a hand from Harry's thigh and holds it in his own. "Tell me about the last time we met,"

Harry smiles a watery smile; "You waltzed in here like you owned the place, refused to leave because you wanted your dog back,"

"My dog?" he asks, surprised.

"Yes. She seemed to have grown very fond of Mister Pickles."

Eggsy smiles at the thought. "And what about the first time?"

"The first time we met?" Harry asks. At Eggsy's nod he blushes a little, starts to pull his hands away.

"No, no! tell me!"

"I-uh..I carried you away from your flowers."

"You what?!" Eggsy laughs. Harry looks at him fondly. 

"I'll admit it wasn't my greatest moment. I just picked you up, swung you over my shoulders, and left with you."

"Fuckin' 'ell, mate! I probably wasn't all too pleased?"

Harry shakes his head, no. "You left. But, then, you came back. You came back over and over again, and I just couldn't understand. I made a horrid first impression and I- you stayed."

Eggsy squeezes his hand tight, urging Harry to continue talking. He wants to know more about this- him- even if it sounds fucking crazy. He feels tethered to this man, to this place. He can't help but change his opinions of Harry so quickly. He has a charm to him that makes Eggsy trust him easily. 

"Zeus, or well, Arthur, he got angry."

"Why?"

"You came and went as you pleased. You made a strong queen, and he felt threatened."

"Queen?" He startles. He supposes he should have expected that, given that the original story included a female Persephone. "So, why am I a male, now?"

"Perhaps one of his many ways to mess with me," Harry shrugs. 

"How are you so calm about this!?!" He shrieks. "He's fucking with you, he treats you like shit!"

"He's my brother!" Harry yells back. He looks shocked, face red suddenly. "I- i'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted."

Eggsy doesn't say anything, doesn't know what to say.

"The pomegranates were a way to punish me, as were the reincarnations. He couldn't force you out of here, not when you were so strong. This was his best solution." Harry releases a sob, quiet, but startling them both. "The legends have it wrong; each seed wasn't a month stuck here, it was a month stuck on Earth away from here. You ate six of them, and so-"

"Six months on Earth," Eggsy interrupts. 

"Yes."

"I released Charlie of his duties for his betrayal, and I've never heard from him since."

They sit in silence for a while, both unsure of what to say next. At some point Eggsy lets go of Harry's hand, palm sweaty with sweat, but he doesn't reach back once he's wiped it on his shirt. Instead, he fumbles with the hem of the little clothing he has on him. 

Finally, he says, "So, what do we do now?"

Harry sighs, tilts his head up to the skies in the ceiling and replies, "I don't know,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry- I deviated from the original stories to add my own twist, I hope that's okay!
> 
> As always feedback is appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one's a little short, but i got something longer on its way. Fear not, loyal readers.

Eggsy's finally allowed out of the confinements of his room, so long as he promises not to try and escape, "at least for a week, Eggsy," Harry had begged.

And he's not going to. 

Doesn't mean he won't try and find exit routes just in case, though. It's good to have all bases covered. 

He takes to exploring the grounds; he comes across Valentine far more than he would have liked, and Harry and Merlin far less. Of course, he understands their positions, doesn't expect them to drop everything just to keep him company. He doesn't even want Valentine's company, but finds himself seeking the man out more and more as the days pass just to have someone to engage in a battle of wits with. At least the man knows a good few puns. 

Although, it would be nice to have Merlin or Harry give him the time of day. 

All he's found on his travels across the underworld is a lot of dead people, floor plans that keep changing, and that it's difficult for him to enter rooms without doors. 

Eggsy personally thinks that's a load of bullshit. 

If what Harry said was true, about Eggsy's previous lives down here, then surely the place would remember him, give him his usual powers? If he's Persephone, why can't he do what Harry does?

Whatever. It's not like he's staying here for long. 

Eggsy's body keeps trying to seek out Harry without his permission. It's like, every time there's a figure that vaguely resembles Harry, a switch comes on inside him, and he's aching for the man to turn around and talk to him. And really, he had no idea the Underworld needed so many workers, damn. 

The only interesting place he's stumbled across is a library. The room seems to have a mind of its own, extending as far back as they eyes can see. Except all the books seem fake. From what Eggsy's looked at, at least. Fuck, there's none of the classics, like Fitzgerald, and Bronte, and what's his name. It's all tales he's never heard, names he can't even pronounce, places he's not sure exist. The non-fiction books are all focused on gardening, but Eggsy hasn't seen a single flower down here. He's looked. 

At some point, a really boring moment where Eggsy is simply laying on one of the rather hard couches in the library, his mind replays the conversation he had with Harry a few days ago, Harry's words about their first meeting ringing in his ears. Harry said he carried Eggsy away from his flowers. 

_His flowers._

These books are Eggsy's. 

With that realisation he sits up quickly, staring at the rows and rows of volumes that fill the space around him. Holy shit. Was he obsessed, or what?

"Took you long enough," Merlin says from behind him. 

"Jesus! What the fuck?! I swear, you just do this to be a dick." Eggsy startles, yelling at Merlin. 

"I'm not denying it, lad. But really, Harry was getting all antsy waiting for you to make the connection." Merlin smirks.

"Why? The prick's been avoiding me; not like he couldn'ta just come and told me."

Merlin smirks, "I do believe he thought it would trigger your memories, lad. It's worked in the past."

The reminder that Harry has lived through similar situations dozens of times before this one leaves an unpleasant taste in his mouth. He fixes a smile on his face, regardless. Whatever Harry has been through, he still doesn't know this man. He can't really feel anything more than sympathy for him at this point. 

He wants to go home. He wants to see him mum, and whether or not she's doing okay with that new tosser of a boyfriend. He wants to see his little sister growin' up. 

But he made a promise, and Eggsy is a man of his word. 

"Merlin, you've become important to me, especially because you were the only one who listened when I asked for pants. But please, mate, _please_ , give me something to do. I'm rottin' away here, pun intended!" Eggsy groans, "See, this is what things have come to, i'm making stupid jokes!"

Merlin takes pity on him, lifting a hand to stop him talking. "Clearly, you've also been hanging around with Charon for too long."

Merlin looks down at his tablet, which Eggsy has never seen him without, he realises, and taps a few times on the screen. He does it fast enough that if Eggsy couldn't see a reflection in Merlin's glasses, he would think the man was acting. 

"Perfect." Merlin mumbles. "I have a solution that will keep all parties happy, I think. You'll be helping me deal with the souls for a few days. That way, you're not on the lower levels, you've got something to do, and Harry can stop shedding his feelings on to me."

"I'm going to ignore some parts of that sentence and stick with, "What exactly am I doin', then?""

"Well, I can' let you leave, so while I complete my end of the bargain, you'll be registering them before Charon carries them across the Styx. Good?"

Eggsy groans, "Can't I just come with, Merlin. I promise not to run!"

Merlin tilts his head and raises his eyebrows at Eggsy, as if he knows exactly what Eggsy's plan is.

But, really! He doesn't have an escape plan, dammit! 

Fuck his previous incarnations for fucking shit up for him. 

Although, he notices, they've only done what he's _trying_ to do now, except they were successful. 

He supposes the job he's been given is better than nothing, and he's sick and tired of waiting for an easy exit to pop up as opposed to those creepy ones with the skulls and dead people, so he shrugs his shoulders and follows the Patron of Travelers out of the library.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for keeping the actual Hartwin from you guys.  
> Hopefully this chapter and the next make up for it!

"Name?" He asks, eyes fixed on the tablet in front of him. Eggsy finds it's easier to avoid looking at the souls that he comes across. 

Some of them are just waiting for one wrong move from him so they can lash out; letting their anger out at him for their deaths. Some, he just can't face looking at when they look so distraught, so heartbroken. 

There are a few who still talk to him even when he avoids any personal interaction. 

Eggsy thinks they must be pretty lonely. 

"Dean Baker," comes a gruff voice. 

That stops Eggsy in his tracks. He freezes up, can't breathe or speak or move. 

Because that's a familiar voice, and it definitely matches the name. He makes an aborted movement to look up, but then realises that it would be better if Dean didn't recognise him. He doesn't know how the tosser hasn't noticed him already, but he'd prefer for it to stay that way, for now. 

His lack of movement must piss the man off anyway; Dean scoffs. "Fuckin' hurry up, then. It's always the fuckin' dipshits who can't do nothin' or speak fuckin' English that get the jobs."

Eggsy feels his face contorting with shock. The man is literally dead, and he's complaining about being jobless?! The racism is nothing new, Eggsy is disappointed to admit. 

Eggsy just can't help himself from looking up, damn it. He leans against the podium in front of him cockily as he puts down the tablet. He wants Dean to get pissed off, to really fucking rile him up one last time. "Listen, you wanker," He starts, and Dean finally recognises him.

"Eggsy! You fucking piece of shit! I must be dreamin' if you're here-"

"Or dead, perhaps?" 

"Is that a threat?" Dean faux-lunges forward, as if to show Eggsy he isn't afraid to hit him. 

Eggsy rolls his eyes, "Well, you're still dense as shit, bruv. You're actually fucking dead." He remarks, smirking at the fumbling man in front of him. "Look around you," He points to the River Styx behind him, and Charon's boat in the distance. "There goes Valentine, he'll be coming to pick you up soon, and you're also holding up the queue," He nods behind Dean, causing the man to turn around quickly.

Dean shuffles away from the souls behind him, but stumbles on a rock and nearly goes straight the edge of the cliff and in to the Styx itself. Eggsy grabs him with ease, yanking him back. "Now, now, we wouldn't want you tainting the River, would we?"

Dean grumbles, yanking his shirt out of Eggsy's hold.

"Let's get your registration over with, then?" Eggsy asks quite happily. 

"I ain't fuckin' going anywhere, Eggsy! You take me home right fuckin' now," 

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr.Baker." Eggsy replies with a false professionalism. If Dean's going to be a dick, so is he. It _is_ his last opportunity, after all. "Are any of your goons somewhere in that queue?" He doesn't wait for Dean to reply before he barrels on, "Because even they can't help you now. _The King of the Underworld_ wouldn't be able to help you, let alone those tossers." He spits, suddenly, frustratingly angry. He's boiling with rage, because this man deserves nothing if not the worst punishment. 

Eggsy takes a deep breath, relaxing his breathing. "Your co-operation is not necessary for the process to be completed, right, Cerb?" He calls to the puppy in the shadows, who's taken to following him around all day. The answering growl he gets is enough to make Dean whimper. Cerberus steps out of the shadows, all three sets of eyes glinting a bright crimson. This time, it's not just Dean that whimpers, but the dozen others behind him, too. 

He turns to the puppy. "Now, Cerb. You gotta behave, buddy. I got this, okay?" He coos, patting the creature before turning back to his ex-stepfather. 

When Eggsy turns back, Charon is leading in to the docks, boat empty for the next batch of souls. He waves at the man exaggeratedly because he knows it annoys Valentine, but doesn't wait for the inevitable middle finger he's going to get. Instead he picks the tablet back up from its place on the podium. "Dean Baker, please make your way down the steps to where Charon is waiting for you. Enjoy your stay," He grins, as if working as a theatre attendant; his smile broad and fake, teeth glinting in the darkness of the surrounding environment. 

Eggsy can see other people being ushered down the stairs at the edge of the cliff and down to the boat. Of course, there are dozens going back and forth at all times, but Eggsy wanted Dean to be put on Valentine's boat itself, just because he knows how their impending interactions are bound to go down. Dean would say something racist and bigoted, and Charon would probably push him off the boat and in to the Styx for the creatures beneath for a few minutes, before reaching back in for the dickhead. 

It's amazing. Eggsy can't stop grinning.

Because that's exactly what happens. 

The next few registrations go gracefully, Eggsy's good mood giving many of the souls hope in such a morbid situation. He takes the time to be extra nice to those who were spooked by Cerberus, because they're dead, for fuck's sake. Sometimes, people deserves breaks. 

Which reminds him. 

"Hey, Malaina?" He calls out to nothing, and a woman apparates next to him. "I'm done for today, I think." 

The woman smirks, black hair flowing freely around her waist. "Perfect timing, actually. I do believe His Highness was looking for you,"

"Who, Harry?" He says, trying to play down his physical reaction to the news.

Malaina lifts a single eyebrow. 

Eggsy shrugs, sighing. It's not like he's hiding his blossoming crush very well. And it really is _just_ a crush. Eggsy's only spoken to the man a few times, no matter how often he thinks he sees him. He does know that Cerberus spends time with the man, too, because each time he removes the hideous collar with the title, "Mr.Pickles," on it, an uglier one replaces it each time. Eggsy's mind supplies him with the brief idea that it constitutes as flirting, before he quickly rids the thought altogether. 

He whistles for the dog to follow him, before he hops down from his perch and walks down the cave to an entrance on the side. Making sure none of the souls are watching, even with the security measures put in place, Eggsy kicks a particular stone in the wall, a trick taught to him by Merlin, before he walks through the slowly opening door. 

\----

Eggsy has a brief moment of panic when he realises that he doesn't know where to find Harry, before Cerberus is nudging at his calves, pushing him gently down a set of corridors, up half a dozen flights of stairs and through a few more corridors. Jesus. He's never been so out of breath in his life, and Eggsy used to be a gymnast, in the marines, and was very good at Parkour, damn it. 

He stops to catch his breath, but the constant shoving at his legs continues. "Cerb, mate, I need a breather." Two heads poke around on each side of his shoulders, and Eggsy finds himself side-eyeing two sets of eyes. Both heads pant heavily, too, just like he does. The third comes to rest on top of his own head. 

"I can't hold up that much weight, not when i'm this knackered, boy." He groans, but let's the head stay there for a few moments longer. "Come on, then. Let's keep going."

The last leg of the journey is far shorter than the rest, and Cerberus allows Eggsy to sit on his back while he carries them both the rest of the way there. If only he knew that was an option before. 

He's dropped unceremoniously in what seems to be private quarters. It's a spacious room; furniture with features of a deep green, a four poster bed that looks like something out of a fairy tale, and.. windows! _Shit_ , Eggsy thinks, as he runs to the natural light, and then forgets all other thoughts as he comes to stand in front of the window, basking in the warmth and glow it provides. 

A throat clears behind him, and he murmurs a, "What?" too distracted by this delicious feeling. It's like his entire being is going to burst.

"I must say, I forgot how beautiful you look under the sun's light." 

Ah.

Eggsy whizzes around, clearing his throat. The room looks darker now that he has his back to the window, and he blinks rapidly to get the strange shapes out of his eyes from the change in brightness. 

Harry stands near the bed, having seemingly walked through another set of doors that Eggsy failed to spot. He guesses it must have been an en suite. 

"Hey, Harry," he says, trying to maintain his cool, even though his body has been aching to see the man for days. 

"Eggsy," Harry says. The man pauses for a good few moments, and just stares at Eggsy. He shifts nervously, waiting for Harry to say something. 

"So..?"

Harry blinks, "Oh! I do apologise," He smiles at Eggsy, "That is to say," he fumbles, "I want to apologise for being unavailable to spend more time with you these past few days. You've been very patient. 

And Eggsy hasn't tried to escape. 

But, he supposes he shouldn't mention that if he actually wants to leave any time soon. 

He smiles back a second too late. "It's okay, Harry. I've been quite busy myself."

"Yes, Merlin did inform me." 

Eggsy raises an eyebrow at that, but Harry doesn't take the bait. 

"I also heard of your interaction with a certain individual from your past?"

Eggsy startles at that, because he didn't expect news to get around so fast about the little show he put on downstairs. "Yeah, well-"

"I'm sure Charon will find a suitable place for him, Eggsy-"

"If you think I care about where that tosser's going to end up-"

"No, no- You were mistaken, Eggsy. I'm simply telling you Mr.Baker will receive suitable _punishment_ for his behaviour as a human."

"Oh." Eggsy says. 

"Yes, well." Harry coughs.

Jesus Christ, why are they so awkward around each other?

Eggsy closes his eyes and sighs in frustration. Any time away from the man has him craving his presence, but once Eggsy has his attention, he doesn't know what to do with it. 

Harry must sense his mood, because he comes to stand in front of him, taking a hold of his arm. He leads Eggsy from the window to the bed with a hand on the crook of his arm, a gentle pressure that is both soothing and intimidating. 

"Sit with me," is all he says. They both climb on to the bed, but Eggsy, still quite tired from the trek to the room, lies down on the abundance of cushions and pillows that he's sure is purely there for decoration purposes. 

He doesn't realise he's voiced his thoughts out loud until Harry laughs, loud and boisterous. "Actually, I have that many pillows because you loved pillow fights far too often for them to be replaced one at a time."

Eggsy smiles in to said pillows, mumbles a "Maybe later,"

Harry stays sitting upright, but lets his back rest against the pillows and headboard. 

They don't speak for a while, Eggsy just listens to the constant of Harry's breathing; relaxed. 

"Do you know how he died?" Harry questions suddenly. 

"Who, Dean?"

Harry nods, "I'm not sure if you read the notes when he was passed to you," to that Eggsy shakes his head no.

"I was too busy dealing with him to actually read it."

"The buffoon decided it would be appropriate to brag to a rival about being in the _business_ for providing underage prostitutes,"

"He was telling 'im about the rentboys he knows?" Eggsy interrupts.

Harry stays silent for a moment. "Rentboys, yes."

Eggsy squeams nervously, because he can hazard a guess as to where this is going. 

"Specifically," Harry continues, "He was boasting about one such _worker_ that had worked for him for years, completely free of charge. He made 100% of the profit because the boy was his stepson."

"Harry...I-"

"My dear boy, i've nothing against your past, or you." Harry doesn't let him finish. "I didn't expect you to tell me when we've hardly spoken these past few weeks, half of which you were unconscious for. We've spoken a handful of times and you have every right not to trust me."

Harry makes an aborted move, as if he wants to hold Eggsy's resting hand as it sits between them on the bed. But, he chooses not to, instead curling his fingers up in his lap. 

"I've been no better myself than him, keeping you here as captive." Harry states. "But-" 

And then he stops again. Eggsy really wishes they could speak to each other freely. Without these unspoken constraints. Is this how it's always been?

"Mister Baker was unaware of the fact that his boasting had attracted the attention of one such being under his former employment. He was found among two other men with his head smashed in; A hammer to the head and a screwdriver to the chest. The body was found a good 3 days later."

"Why are you telling me?" Eggsy asks once he finds his voice.

Harry turns to him, sinking down in the pillows a little so he's nearly at eye level with Eggsy. "Because I believe you deserve to know that what he did to you will warrant punishment far worse than his death did," 

"Good," Eggsy declares vehemently. The anger threatens to consume him again, as he thinks about what his life would have been like if Dean was still in it, if his sister would have had to grow up doing what he had to, just for the prick to earn a bit more cash. 

 

"You know," Harry says matter-of-factly. "The legends often talk of Persephone's wrath as a ruler." He grins at Eggsy, white teeth gleaming in the sun. "I see it in you now in a way I could not before."


End file.
